Fuck The Beliefs

17.Forest

“Hey! Guess you’ll be needing this.” Steve said holding two paper cups in his hands as he came towards Avery sitting alongside everyone beside the campfire.

“Oh, what is it?” she asked taking the cup from him.

“Herbal tea.”

She took a sip. “Hmm, thank you.” She said as he settled down beside her, the gap being only a ft now.

Everyone was discussing what game they should play today, when Adam, the other one of the track instructor came in, “Hey guys! We have installed a temporary wifi tower here as you are offline for a long time now and..” everyone took out their phones without letting him finish. “Guess I should be done here!”

After sometime, probably seeing something on her phone, Avery stood up with a deep sigh. Nobody noticed as everyone was busy with their phones. Sliding the phone in her jeans, she roamed around engrossed in her thoughts and then started walking towards the forest with her hands inside the black hoodie jacket she was wearing.

She was a few meters into the forest, when a voice called from behind, “Hey, where are you headed, Avery?”

She turned around to see it was Steve. “Where do you think!” she was rude.

“I don’t think you should go that way at this time. It’s not safe.”

“And who do you think you are ordering me like that! I can completely take care of myself.” she yelled. “Get lost!” so loud, it echoed through the forest. It was anger building up her.

He froze at his place digesting what just happened, as she turned and walked away from his sight.

****

It was sleeping time, everybody was settled in their respective tents and Adam was on rounds checking their presence. When he arrived at Avery and Steve’s tent, there was only Steve, arranging his sleeping bag.

“Hey, where is your partner, buddy?” Adam asked.

“I don’t know!”

“What do you mean? Yours is the last tent I am checking and there’s nobody outside. So where is she?”

“I don’t know! She probably needed some lone time.”

“So, you know!”

“Well, kind of.”

“Where did you see her last?”

“Walking towards the forest on the west of us.”

“What! And you let her go! Didn’t we tell you at the very beginning not to go there.” Adam was both disappointed and worried.

“If it helps, I tried to stop her!”

“Nothing matters now, dude. We gotta find her. I’m going to inform Joseph. I hope she’s fine.”

****

Avery:

I was out of my mind, walking across the forest having no sense of direction, tears roll down my eyes and my feet jolt at every step I take. The sole thought, that runs across my mind was I should have kept that phone switched off, I was hardly coping myself out of the situation.

Suddenly, my mind was shifted as I heard a rumbling sound behind me in the bushes. I turned around, there was nothing there. And the realization strike that this is an actual forest with animals, wild animals. A shiver pass down my spine. I could barely see through my teared eye and the forest darkness, so I wiped my tears, got hold of myself and reached my pocket for the phone flash light, thinking it might only be a non harmful animal, but what if it is carnivorous, a lion or something. “Oh god, I am so stupid.” Escaped from my mouth.

I heard an another rumbling and it didn’t stopped. I could clearly hear footsteps approaching me but I couldn’t see anything except trees and bushes until someone or something came out. I flashed my mobile light and there was a weird man standing in front of me, that made me take a step back.

I froze in my place watching him up & down. He was wearing long leaves, that too only on the lower half of his body. All other parts were bare with black stripes painted over them.

I was kinda relieved that there are no animals until he mumbled something and more people came in form the bushes. I flashed around to see what was happening. There were five men. All like him. All staring at me Two of them were having spears. Now my heart raced.

I turned back to escape, but before I could run, one of them stroked my leg with the spear stick and I fell on the ground hitting my head. My leg hurt bad, but that wasn't my concern. All I could think was what do they want! 

I got on my back and saw I was surrounded. The man I first saw was on the ground trying to climb on me with his hands beside my body and others tapping their feet in  harmony.

So now I at least know what they want!